President Obama put it out there in last night’s State of the Union Address at one point saying, “Millions of Americans who work hard and play by the rules every day deserve a government and a financial system that do the same,” Obama said. “It’s time to apply the same rules from top to bottom. No bailouts, no handouts, and no cop-outs. He focused on four areas – American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.There it was the energy, the passion, the truth telling and a vision for a new clean green tech America. Was that Barrack Obama calling for innovation and entrepreneurship to drive a new era of energy prosperity? Or was it Obama channeling former President Jimmy Carter who back in 1977 proposed a new National Energy Policy. I wonder where we’d be if his policies had remained in effect. Who knows maybe there would have been no need for a war in Iraq.
And just last week President Obama went thumbs down on the Keystone XL Pipeline project which opponents had called an environmental disaster in the making. In his State of the Union speech last night he went directly after big oil. He said,”Our experience with shale gas, our experience with natural gas, shows us that the payoffs on these public investments don’t always come right away. Some technologies don’t pan out; some companies fail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy. I will not walk away from workers like Bryan. I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here. We’ve subsidized oil companies for a century. That’s long enough. It’s time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that rarely has been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that never has been more promising. Pass clean energy tax credits. Create these jobs”
While conceding the logjam in Congress he said, “We can also spur energy innovation with new incentives. The differences in this chamber may be too deep right now to pass a comprehensive plan to fight climate change. But there’s no reason why Congress shouldn’t at least set a clean energy standard that creates a market for innovation. So far, you haven’t acted. Well, tonight, I will. I’m directing my administration to allow the development of clean energy on enough public land to power 3 million homes. And I’m proud to announce that the Department of Defense, working with us, the world’s largest consumer of energy, will make one of the largest commitments to clean energy in history -– with the Navy purchasing enough capacity to power a quarter of a million homes a year.
Military Has Gigawatts Of Solar Energy Potential
